Closure for jars and similar containers



Aug. 19 1924.

W. F. HAMMOND CLOSURE FOR JARS AND SIMILAR CONTAINERS Filed Sent. 30

Patented Aug. 19, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIALWI 1*. HAMIJIGND, OF KANSA CITY, 1VHSSQURI, ASSIGNOR TO CGNFECTIONERS EQUIPMENT COMFANY, OF WILMINGTON, DELA NARE, A CORPORATION OF DELA- WARE.

CLOSURE FOR JARS AND SIMILAR CONTAINERS Application filed September 30, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, WILLIAM F. HAMMOND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Closures for Jars and Similar Containers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in closures for jars and similar containers. lit is particularly well adapted for use in connection with elongated jars for holding confections and which are normally disposed in a position slightly inclined to the horizontal.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a closure which may be readily operated to open or close by the use of one hand, leaving the other hand free, for other use.

Another object of my invention is to provide a. cover mounting in which the cover. will be held in the closed position by a pressure which is substantially equal at all points around the circumference of the cover.

A further object of my invention is to provide a cover support arranged with novel means for so holdingthe cover that it will be subjected to equal wearon the portionv which bears against the jar.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a closure for a jar which is simple in construction, cheap to make, durable, not liable to get out of order, which can be easily manipulated with. one hand in the opening or the closing of the cover, which will hermetically seal the mouth of the jar, and which may be adjusted to fit jar necks of different diameters.

My invent-ion provides still further novel means for supporting and connecting to- Serial No. 504,284.

ing againstqthe otherear. The collar 1,

screw 3 and nut a comprise expansible and contractible means for engaging and clamp- .ing the neck 5 of a container, such as an elongated 6, adapted to contain candy or other confections.

The collar 1 has hinged to its upper portion a U shaped swinging member 7 the upper arm of which isfastened to one leaf 8 of a hinge, the other leaf 9 of which is fastenedto the upper side of the collar 1.

A pintle 10 extends through ears 11 and 12 provided respectively on the leaves 8 and 9. Acoil spring 18 encircles the pintle 10 and has one end bearing against the leaf 8, the other end bearing against the leaf 9.

The tension of the spring 13 is such as to normally force the member: 7 from the closed locked position, shown in solid lines in Fig. 1, tothe open position shown in dotted lines in Fig. l.

For closing the mouth 14 of the jar, I provide a' suitable cover comprising, preferably, a circular concave-convex plate 15, mount ed on a central rivet 16, which extends through a-hole in .the member 7, in which the rivet is adaptedto swing in any direction, and also to rotate in the membert'. The outer side of the plate 15 bears against a shoulder 17 of the rivet 16 against which the plate is firmly held by another circular concavo-convex plate 18 also mounted on. the rivet 16 and held by the latter'tightly against the-plate 15.

At the inner side of the plate 15 is rubber gasket ring 19 over the inner side of which extends the peripheral portion of the plate 18, which holds the gasket in place.

Means are provided for releasably look ing the member 7 and the cover in the closed position shown in solid lines in Fig. 1. Such means comprises, preferably, an

inverted U shaped catch plate secured to the under side of the collar 1, and having its outer shorter arm adapted to be releasablylockingly engaged with an upwardly extending shoulder 20 on the lower arm of the member 7. The latter has a finger hold extension 21 which extends downward-- ly from the shoulder 20. The other or longer arm of the catch plate, designated by 22, serves as a finger hold to be grasped in closing the cover.

In order that the cover shall not drag on themouth end of the jar when the member 7 is being swung to or from the open posi tion, means are provided by which the cover in its closing movement will have the portion distant from the hinge connection, already described, first strike the jar. Such means comprises, preferably a flat spring 23 having its inner end attached to the inner side of the member 7, and having its outer free end bearing against the outer side of the plate 15 at a point at the outer side of the rivet 16. The spring 23 serves to tilt the cover to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, so that when the member 7 is swung toward the closed position, the gasket 19 will not scrape over the adjacent edge of the neck of the jar, and the portion of the gasket Wlll first strike the neck of the at the lower portion of the edge thereof.

By having the rivet 16, which is firmly attached to the cover, swing freely in any direction and also revolve on the member 7, the cover will always find firm seat at all points of itscircumference on the neck of the jar, and as the cover can revolve, it will change its position eircumferentially so that the wear will be alike at all bearing points.

In the operation of my invention, in closing the cover, it is but necessary to use one hand, the fingers gripping the extens on 21 of the member 7 and the longer or rear arm of the catch plate 22, and forcing the member rearwardly until the shoulder 20 of the member 7, which is preferably of resilient material, such as spring brass, passes to the rear of and lockingly engages the short front arm of the catch plate 22.

To open the cover, it is but necessary to .use the fingers of one hand to press outwardly on the extension 21 and against the front portion or shoulder of the until the shoulder 20 is released from the short arm of the catch plate 22, at which time the spring 13 will swing the member 7 and the cover to the open'position shown in dotted lines in Fig. l.

The other hand of the operator may be used to scoop or otherwise extract material from the jar or insert material therein.

In order that the jar may be supported in a position inclined to the horizontal, as shown in Fig. 1, there is provided a sub stantially U shaped leg having a horizontal portion 24 adapted to rest on a table or counter, and having two arms 25 which extend upwardly vertically for a short distance and then incline inwardly and have their upper ends attached to the under side of the collar 1.

In order that several of the jars may be connected to form a battery, all of the jars of which face in the same direction, the arms 25 of adjacent legs are connected to each other by screws 26 provided with nuts 27, Fig. 2.

I do not limit my invention to the structure shown and described, as many modifications, within the scope of the appended claims, may be made without dermrting from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim is 1. In a device of the kind described, means arranged to clamp a jar, a swinging member hinged to said clamping means, a cover carried by said member and adapted to close the mouth of the jar, releasable means for looking the swinging member to said clamping means when the cover is in the closed position, and means for automatically swinging the swinging member to the open position when the locking means is released, sub stantially as set forth.

2. In a device of the kind described, means adapted to clamp a jar, a swinging member hinged to the clamping means, a cover pivotally supported on said member and adapted to close the month of said jar, and means by which the cover is normally yieldingly held in a position relative to the swinging member in which theportion of the cover distant from the hinge connection will first strike the jar in the closing movement of the cover, substantially as set forth.

3. In a device of the kind described, means adapted to clamp a jar, a swinging member hinged to the clamping means, a cover pivotally supported. on. said member and adapted to close the month of the jar, and a sprin bearing against the member and cover an arranged to normally swing the cover to a position in which that portion of the cover distant from the hinge connection will first strike the ar in the closing movement of the cover, substantially as set forth.

l. In a device of the kind described, means adapted to clamp a jar, a resilient sw.ingin; member hinged thereto, releasable means for locking the swinging member to the clamping means, a spring for normally forcing the swinging member to the open position, and a cover carried by said member and adapted to close the mouth of the ar when the swing in member is in the locked position, substantially as set forth.

5. In a device of the kind described, means adapted to clamp a jar, a swinging member hinged thereto, a spring for normally swinging the said member to the open position, re-

leasable means for locking said member in the closed position, and a cover pivoted to said member so as to swing in any direction and adapted to close the mouth of the jar when the swinging member is in the locked position, substantially as set forth.

6. In a device of the kind described, means adapted to clamp a jar, a swinging member hinged thereto, a cover. revoluble on said member and pivoted thereto to swing in any direction and adapted to close the mouth of the jar when saidmember .is swung to the closed position, and yielding means for normally swinging the cover on said member to a position in which that portion of the cover which is distant from the hinged connection will first strike the jar in the closing movement of the cover, substantially as set forth.

7'. In a device of the kind described, means adapted to clamp a jar, a swinging member hinged thereto, a spring for normally forcing the member to the open position, releasable means for locking the member in the closed position, a cover revoluble on said member and pivoted thereto so as to swing in any direction, and means for normally swinging the cover on the member to a. position in which the cover at that portion distant from the hinge connection will first strike the jar in the closing movement of the cover, substantially as set forth.

8. In a device of the kind described, means adapted to clamp a jar, a swinging member hinged thereto, a spring for normally swinging the member to the open position, releasable means for locking said member in the closed position, a cover pivoted to said member and adapted to close the mouth of the jar when said member is in the closed position, and means for normally swinging the cover on said member to a position in which the cover in its closing movement will first strike the jar at that portion of the cover distant from said hinge connection, substantially as set forth.

9. In a device of the kind described, means adapted to clamp a jar, a resilient member hinged thereto, a cover revoluble on said member adapted to close the mouth of the jar, a spring arranged tonormally swing said member to the open position, an d releasable means for locking said member in the closed position, substantially as set forth.

10. In a device of the kind described, means adapted to clamp a jar, a swinging member hinged thereto, a spring for normallv swinging said member to the open position, releasable means for locking the member in the closed position, a cover revoluble on said member and pivoted thereto to swing in any direction and adapted to close the month of the jar, and a spring bearing against said member and said cover and' arranged to normally. swing the latter on said member to a position in which that portion of the cover distant from the hinge connection will first strike the jar in the closing movement of the cover, substantially as set forth.

11. In a device of the kind described, means adapted to clamp a jar around the neck thereof, a leg attached to the clamp ing means for supporting the M in an in clined position, a swinging member hinged to the clamping means, a spring for normally swinging said member to the open position, releasable means for locking said member in the closed position, and a cover carried by said member and adapted to close the mouth of the jar when said member is in the locked position, substantially as set forth.

12. In a device of the kind described, an expansible and contractible collar arranged to clamp a jar, a swinging member hinged to said collar, a spring for normally forcing said member to the open position, releasable means: for locking said member in the closed position, a cover pivoted to said member for closing the mouth of the jar, and a spring for swinging said cover on said member to a position in which that portion of the cover which is distant from said hinge connection will first strike the jar in the closing movement of the cover, substantially as set forth.

13. In a device of the kind described, an exp ansible and contractible clamping collar adapted to clamp the neck of a jar, a leg attached to the collar and arranged to support the in an inclined position, a swinging member hinged to the collar, a spring for normally forcing said member to the open position, a catch on said collar arranged to engage and releasably hold said member in the closed position, a cover pivoted to said member and adapted to close the mouth of the jar, and a spring hearing against the cover and said member arranged to normally swing the cover on said member to a position in which that portion of the cover distant from said hinge connection will first strike the jar in the 010s ing movement of the cover, substantially as set forth.

14:. In a device of the kind described, an eXpansible and contractible clamping collar adapted to clamp the neck of a jar, a leg attached to the collar and arranged to support the jar in an inclined position, a swinging member hinged to said collar, a spring for normally forcing said member to the open position, a catch on said collar arranged to engage said member and releasably hold the latter in the closed position, a cover revoluble on said member and pivoted thereto, and a spring bearing against the cover and said member and arranged gage the other arm of the catch for hold ing the swinging member in the closed position, a spring for normally forcing tin-v swinging member to the open position, and a cover carried by the swinging member and adapted to close the mouth of the jar when the swinging member is in the locked position, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

WILLIAM F. HAMMOND. 

